Happy Birthday
by snowtigress-27
Summary: For Severus the possibility of a happy birthday is rather grim, what with Hermione gone. Much to his surprise Hermione might still have something stuck up her sleeve.


**Happy Birthday**

**A/N **This is just a sweet little one-shot about Hermione and Severus. My reviewers of BBE were kind enough to tell me that Severus's birthday was January 9. I decided to write a little story in honor of that day on that day. I was a day late but at least I got it done.

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"I regret to inform you that Hermione Granger will be leaving us the day after tomorrow," Minerva said to all the teachers excepting the very one she spoke of.

"I'll be sad to see her go," Pomona Sprout said sorrowfully.

"So will the students," Flitwick added, "All of the children love her. She is their favorite teacher."

"Even those of Slytherin will miss her," Firenze said trying not to look at Severus as the potions master sat glaring into the fire.

As the conversation continued between the staff, Severus sat brooding silently. So the know-it-all was leaving. After five successful years of teaching defense against the dark arts she was finally leaving. Why? He thought she had been happy here…he thought she cared for him. Apparently he was wrong though.

"Where are you headed, Severus?" McGonagall asked with a raised brow.

"My quarters," he muttered before angrily storming from the room.

Making his way to his rooms, Severus's thoughts continued to dwell on Hermione. He must have misread those looks she threw at him, and her hand on his shoulder. He thought that against all odds she had somehow grown fond of him, but now that she was leaving he realized it was just wishful thinking. Who could ever love a monster like him?

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Hermione had just finished packing up her things, when a knock sounded on her door. She felt her heart speed up a bit at the thought of who it might be.

"Let it be him," she whispered to herself.

Disappointment flooded Hermione's face as she opened the door to reveal the stern features of Minerva McGonagall.

"Come on in Minerva," Hermione said as she strained to keep her emotions under control.

"Not tonight, my dear," Minerva said with a small smile, "I just wanted to make sure this is really what you wanted."

"I already told you that. I can't stay at Hogwarts any longer. I can't stand the pain of seeing him everyday," Hermione murmured quietly to keep her voice from cracking.

"But Hogwarts is your home," she objected.

"Even so, I have to go," Hermione said and water stung at her eyes, "I have no place here."

"Now there's a lie if I've ever heard one," Minerva frowned, "Please stay."

"You know I can't," she whispered as the tears fell.

"I know no such thing,"

"Just let me go," Hermione pleaded.

"I shouldn't…"McGonagall said, "But if you've got your mind set…"

"I do," Hermione assured her.

"Then I give you my leave to go," Minerva said in a remorseful tone.

"Thank you Minerva," Hermione said and hugged her tightly, "I promise to write."

"I thought you were leaving on Sunday," Minerva asked suddenly worried.

"I'm ready tonight," Hermione said and shook her head, "I have to do this all at once; it's just like taking off a Band-Aid."

McGonagall held her at arms length looking her straight in the eyes her green eyes piercing into Hermione's, "God speed, Hermione."

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Severus tred gloomily into the great hall the next morning, and for once his robes remained at his sides instead of billowing out around him. His normally intimidating personality had been thrown off, and in its place was depressed sort of man. The small hopeful light in his eyes left as soon as he realized Hermione was not at the staff table.

"Where is she?" he growled at Minerva.

"I… oh Hermione," McGonagall said and her face fell a little, "She…left."

"She what?!" Severus shouted and took off at a dead run towards Hermione's personal quarters.

"Severus, wait!" Minerva called, but by that time he was already out the door.

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"Oh Hermione," Severus whispered and put his head in his hands, "Why did you go. I need you… I love you."

"She loves you too," Ron's miserable voice said behind him.

Severus whipped around to face the young man whose words surprised him. What he saw shocked him. Ron's face was sunken and his eyes housed bags beneath them. He looked thin and weak as if afflicted by sickness.

"I dated her for quite some time you know," Ron said.

"Yes, I know," Severus answered.

"I thought it was meant to be," he shook his head mournfully, "But a about a year and a half ago she started acting different. She would say things and… I don't know it was just… different. When I asked her about it, she… she told me that she was falling in love with someone else. I watched her after that and it didn't take long for me to figure out that she was talking about you."

"That isn't possible," Severus said stiffly, "She would never love me."

"She already does," Ron said angrily, "You're just too much of a recluse to notice. And now you've not only hurt her, you've hurt yourself. You could have done something about your feelings; instead you locked them away, hurting the both of you beyond repair."

"What would you know?" Severus spat, "You don't look so good yourself."

"And whose fault is that?" Ron said darkly, "I wouldn't be this way if Hermione hadn't left me, and Hermione wouldn't have left me, if you hadn't been around."

"That's a bunch of rubbish," Severus snorted, "She would have gone off with someone else eventually. She was never meant for you."

"Apparently she wasn't meant for you either!" Ron yelled and pulled out his wand.

"Do you really think you stand a chance Weasley?" he sneered pulling his wand out.

"No he doesn't," a soft voice said, "Therefore it would be terribly cruel to duel him."

"Hermione!" Ron said, spinning around to see the brown haired beauty enter the room, "How much did you hear?"

"I heard nothing except Severus's rather snide remark," Hermione answered.

Ron threw a slightly triumphant glance at Severus. Hermione hadn't heard enough to be convinced that Severus returned her love.

"What are you doing here?" Severus asked coldly, "I thought you left last night."

"I left something. I meant to leave it, but I was going to leave it with Minerva. I wanted her to give it to someone. To you actually," Hermione said to Severus as she grabbed a brightly wrapped present from within the closet, "For your birthday."

"You remembered?" Severus asked incredulously as he took the small gift from her.

"Don't I always?" she smiled warmly.

Severus couldn't bring himself to smile as pain clutched at his chest. This would probably be the last time he would ever see her sweet smile, and gentle brown eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Goodbye, Severus," Hermione said in a low voice.

Severus let his eyes rest briefly on her face before lowering his head, "Goodbye Hermione."

Hermione reached her hand out to him for a split second before pulling it back and leaving the room. As soon as she was down the corridor, she felt tears sting at her eyes. If only he asked her to stay. She wanted so badly to run back up into her room and tell him she was sorry, but she knew she couldn't. She would miss him very much, but if it wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be.

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Severus jumped up from his place on the couch as soon as he opened Hermione's gift and read the letter that it held. He sprinted from the room praying that he was not to late. If he could catch her, he finally might make things write.

Ron watched in amazement as Severus raced away with a fierce look of determination fixed on his face. Whatever Hermione's gift contained it must have been pretty powerful to send Snape running off like that. Curiosity burned within him as he reached for the letter that Severus had left lying on the coffee table. It read:

_My dear Severus,_

_As I write this, it is 11:00 pm on the night of January 8. In just a few hours it will be your birthday once again. Every year since I have been teaching here, I have made an effort to find you a gift that was needed and appreciated. This year I found this to be quite problematic. I finally decided to give you something that you might not find useful, indeed you may not want it at all, but it is all I have to give to you. _

_This year I give you my love._

_You may do with it what you wish. You may ignore it, which would be quite easy considering I will be leaving the country shortly, you may abuse it and use it to blackmail me, you may pretend to love me as well before tearing my heart out and treading all over, and finally you may accept it whole heartedly and love me in return._

_I cannot force you to make a decision, but know, dear Severus, that my future hangs on your choice._

_With all the love I possess,_

_**Hermione Granger**_

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Hermione had just reached the edge of the grounds, and was about to apparate away when she thought she heard a voice call her name. She paused for a moment straining her ears.

"Hermione!" she heard it again and this time she recognized it as that of Severus Snape, "Hermione wait!!"

Hermione felt her heart begin to race and her mind was suddenly filled with hopeful dreams of the future, "Severus? What are you doing?"

"Convincing you to stay," Severus said breathlessly, "Hermione, you have to stay. The teachers and students need, this very school needs you, but most of all I need you. You are my world. I love you so much that it hurts just to look at you. Please stay… for me."

Hermione reached up and brushed away the tears that had surreptitiously snuck up on Severus. She caressed his cheek gently and he leaned in to her soft touch, closing his eyes in pleasure.

"I love you too, Severus," Hermione whispered before pressing her lips to his with the boldness only a Gryffindor could possess.

Severus kissed her back happily and swung her around in a circle before setting her back down. He looked into her melted chocolate eyes and was staggered to see the love in them. Letting go of her, he knelt on knee.

"I don't have a fancy ring, or anything else very special, but I need to ask you this now before my heart bursts. Hermione Granger will you marry me?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered as she threw her arms around him, kissing him a second time, "With all my heart, yes."

Severus smiled and grasped her hand tenderly. As they walked back to the castle speaking of everything and nothing at the same time, he thought back to all his past birthdays and all the birthdays he would have to come, and as he did so, he knew that without a doubt this would be the happiest birthday of his life.

**The End**


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